Drawing the Sydney Opera House
Two Plein Airs Going To A New Home Today
Idyllwild Backyard by Michael Newberry
Embargo Series by Michael Newberry
The Animal Lifted Embargo Series has significantly changed my opinion about including animals in my paintings. They really help set off the scale and atmosphere of the landscapes. I am surprised that just two tiny marks, in the case of the sandpipers, can reset the landscapes dramatically.
Newberry, Seagull at Picnic Island, 2020, oil on panel, 12×16″
There is an exciting tension in placing an animal just right, it seems to set off the landscape and definitely twerks the composition, like a zigzag incorporating the direction of the light, the bird's flight path, the feeling of "lift," setting off the formal composition of the water and land masses. Delightfully fun.
Doggie at the Beach and an Aesthetic Musing
In the past I have rejected doing animals because humanity is at the forefront of my mind. I love my dog, Frida, and she loves me, but she doesn't even glance at my art. :(
The Surface Vs. 3D Paradox Solved
There was a crazy split in art history between the modernist perspective of being true to the surface of the canvas vs. the classical window looking at out the world. Paradoxically, both are true but they missed what connects them: light and color vibrations dance on our cornea's surface.
Workshop Series: Pastel, Let the Color of the Paper Work for You
Newberry Art Tutorials Colored and dark papers can save you precious time and give you amazing effects. When I paint/draw/teach plein air I try to nail the impression in under an hour, it is a race against the planet moving. As the sun slowly moves across the landscape you will see new cast shadows, new …
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Workshop Series: Find the Shadows First
Newberry Art Tutorials Then Add Light! One of the most important lessons I teach in my workshops is to find the shadows first. It is almost a guarantee that if you find interesting shadows then the rest of your drawing or painting will work! The hard part is that looking for shadows (cast, core shadows …
Today Blasted Through Finishing Touches on These Pastel Landscapes
Michael Newberry recent pastel landscapes.
Driven to paint Plein Air
High noon and not a shadow to be had. My students will tell you I veto painting things with no shadows, broke my rules, and decided to paint with the focus on the soft dusty arid colors.
The Grounds at Van Gogh’s Asylum in St. Remy
I spent a day on the grounds of Van Gogh's Asylum in St Remy. Then I was profoundly happy to be there and just drew without thinking; just experiencing. But today, I looked over these and added a little light.